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Monday, November 26, 2012

See that up there? Isn't it perty? I do love it so and I am soooo excited about next month! Why??? Because that little beauty is going to be published on December 22nd!

And for those who weren't around when I had my big cover reveal day, he's the summary:

10 Tales of Steampunk Silliness and Spookery.

In the cozy seaside village of Steamville, New Hampshire, an unfaithful zombie, out of control werebots, succubi in corsets, and more wreak havoc in this short story collection.

Intrigued yet? I certainly hope so because I had so much fun writing this! The characters are a little crazy and their stories even crazier.

And today I'm sharing a little sneak peek from one of the stories! Though each of the flash fiction pieces are all stand-alone, they center around one particular town and group of people. Some are written in First Person, Third, and even Omniscient.

I hope you enjoy!

From War of the Living Dead--A Gentlemen's Duel:

There was only one thing I
loved more in this world than the sweet, gooey flesh of brains and that was my
Violet. And as I sat alone in the parlor, growing cold from the blood of some
red district girl, I knew I'd finally lost her forever.

To Bob. The pool boy.

Well,
such things could not stand. I was a southern gentleman, born, raised, killed,
and raised again in the heart of Georgia long before I ever met my dearest
Violet. And where I came from, gentlemen
did not steal another man's lady without severe repercussions.

His brains would taste mighty
fine between my teeth.

And so I rose from the cold,
sticky floor and sought out a piece of fine, thick paper and pen from Violet's
desk and sat down to write a most scathing challenge.

Dear Sir,

No
doubt, by this time you have heard of my and Violet's separation. And no doubt
you are also aware of a particular intelligence passed to me by Violet before
she stormed from our home. Let it be understood, sir, that I will not just
creep away from this matter. Therefore, I challenge you two nights from hence
under the light of the full moon outside Duwitt Park.

If
you are a true gentleman, you will accept this challenge. If you are not, if
you prove yourself to be nothing but a blood-sucking dog, I will hunt you down
and redeem myself from the shame that you have put upon me and my household.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Sorry, folks, but I'm disabling all anonymous comments. There have been just way too many spammers leaving comments lately. If you are a legitimate anonymous commenter, I'm really sorry. I hope you'll stay and keep reading any future posts. And I'll certainly still appreciate your presence even though I won't technically know you're there. :)

I hope all my American followers had a great Thanksgiving! And I hope all my international followers had a great day, too. I'm thankful for all of you!!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for me and all my American followers. It is honestly one of my favorite holidays because, despite the media's and stores' valiant attempts to make us focus on Black Friday instead of celebrating a day of thanks, it's still pretty free of commercial corruption. It's a day we spend with family and friends and focus on blessings instead of all the bad stuff we have to deal with every other day of the year.

I am very blessed and very thankful for many things. And I am OF COURSE thankful for great books and new authors!!

So let me introduce Dr. Margaret Aranda and her book, No More Tears to you:

Dr. Margaret Aranda, M.D., has written scientific articles on neurosurgery, anesthesiology, critical care, and radiology. She has received several awards for medical education in Oklahoma, California, and South Korea. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

There was a day that her life got stumped. First she was a Stanford doctor, then she became a trauma patient due to a car accident. Now, she could not stand up or else she would faint. The doctor-turned-patient had an invisible disease and the doctors were stumped too. What did she have? Why must she live on IV fluid? In No More Tears Dr. Margaret Aranda takes you on a ride to the door of Heaven as she describes her near-death experience after a car accident. She was unable to walk and unable to talk, and for over three years, she lived on IV fluid. No More Tears will inspire you to persevere, to speak up, to be that rare bird that underdog who wins despite the odds.

I have to first say that this type of book is not one I usually pick up. That's not to say I don't like deep, thought-provoking books. I really do. But had I happened upon this one in a store, I probably wouldn't have purchased it.

This is why I am VERY glad the author asked me to read and review it! I love finding little gems like these because it just goes to show me that my predetermined list of things I'll like is way too narrow.

The writing is so beautiful and descriptive and the story will work at your heart and play with your emotions. I am so glad I read this. I am so glad I got to experience this woman's story.

Here's a taste:

"Persevere. Fight. Don't take no for an answer. Realize that you can hide nothing from God and that he sees your actions and he knows your heart. Hum drum, drip, drop. Believe that God is guiding your steps. If I can do it, you can do it. Your attitude? If no one else can do it, you can do it. Hum drum, drip, drop. You have to know that your choices make you who you are.

"I got out of my bed when no one thought I could walk. I started walking without my walker when nobody thought I'd be able to accomplish this, and I walk with a cane instead. I still need the can but in a different, safer way. Hum drum, drip, drop. I'm glad to be alive in any alive form. Just let me be a mother."

Friday, November 16, 2012

You may not know this, but I actually do a podcast every Friday with the amazing Vic Caswell. So I've decided I'll share the post with you! You can check out the post below or at the official Pod People blog.

Monday, November 12, 2012

And I know this post is coming right after my last one that talked about maybe not mentioning personal things on a public platform, but like all things, there are exceptions (and people who break their own rules :) ).

Seven years ago today my life forked down a road that has left me with nothing but blessings.

Eight years ago I saw the man of my dreams and within a month, I made him mine.

I'm a different person because of him and I'm not afraid to say it. I'm a much happier, mature, well-rounded human being because the man of my dreams became my husband.

He's helped me achieve my goals of becoming a published author and cheered me on when I thought I couldn't make it. He's carried me through rejections and been with me on some of the best writerly days of my life.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

It's been my policy to avoid politics on my blog, fb, and twitter. As someone who has gone into social media with the goal of attracting readers and fans of my work, I've always felt that personal issues should be approached very carefully. I've talked about my family, my past, my faith, and other personal stuff very rarely (and only when I thought it was pertinent to my work or might entertain).

I've developed friendships with many of you and would never want to harm that no matter what.

So I avoid politics.

It has very little to do with my work and I'm not so silly as to assume that people I respect and love must naturally agree with me on all topics.

But not everyone in this industry has the same policy as me. And I certainly don't want to jump to the conclusion that I am right and they are wrong. But I have to admit that I do wish some of the people I love and respect had seen eye to eye with me and my policy just a tad bit more.

And I wanted your opinion on this. I certainly don't expect all of you to agree with me. I think opinions are wonderful things and I absolutely love dialogue. In fact, I'm a very opinionated person and love to debate on many topics. I certainly share my thoughts with people in my personal life.

But I think a professional life should be treated differently. And I think that no matter what your stance is, it should be approached with respect towards others.

A lot of insults have been flying around lately. And I have to admit some of them hurt me personally and I know they came from people who would never want to hurt me intentionally. I'm not alone, either. I've heard from several people who have been hurt or dismayed due the rhetoric on social media.

We have to remember that not everyone agrees with us and that's okay. And we have to remember that there's a time and place for heated opinions. I don't think your professional platform is it.

Let me clarify, though, because as I'm reading over this I see there might be some confusion. I DO believe all positive opinions should be given freely without fear of offending. My issue is when someone uses a professional platform to insult or push an opinion in a very negative manner.

And I want your opinion. Did you tire of this political season? Especially all my readers from around the world! You must certainly have been tired of the non-stop talk. Or maybe not. Maybe I'm alone in my opinion.